Secret Reporters No place to hide
Secret Reporters
In the concluding part of our expose on Delta State LG Chairmen, who drives luxury cars but allowed their Vice Chairmen to enter motorcycle to work, we bring to you the tales of sorrows in the various LGs, where this is practiced and how they are denied inclusion against the act setting up the LG.
Part 1, Section 56, Sub Section 1 of the Local Government law of 2017 (as amended) stipulates that : There shall be a cash budget committee comprising of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, supervisors, HPM, and Treasurer to the LG which shall sit over the income and expenditure of council and authorize release of funds for approved items of expenditures.
Section 72, Sub Section 8 of the Local Government law makes provision for the composition of the Police/Community Relations Committee (PCRC) with the Vice Chairman as Chairman of the Committee. The committee performs the function relating to security in their various councils. The Chairman heads the well funded peace and security committee.
In gross violation of the law, most LG Chairmen travel for a period of two weeks or more without handing over to their deputies
The two laws above have been broken by most Chairmen. We hereby reel out the happenings in the remaining LGAs.
Sapele: The Chairman, Eugene Inoaghan is lord of the manor, with the deputy turned to a complete dummy. While he enjoys the perks of office, his Vice Chairman flags down keke to take him to the council in tears every day. Apart from not having official car, he is also not allowed to come for cash budget meeting, does not collect imprest and allowances, no department given to him to head and the PCRC is not in place.
Burutu: Agele Godknows knows that the law must be followed hence he made sure the Vice is entitled to official car, pays all imprest and allowances, supervises a department and made sure he’s comfortable as a deputy to him.
Patani: It’s not all tales of woe for the Vice Chairman of this local government as the Chairman, Perez Omoun made him to be in charge of tenement committee, attends cash budget meeting, pays his imprest and allowances though not regular. Sadly enough, the Vice has no official means of transportation to work, while the PCRC has not also been setup.
Ika South: Victor Okoh bought a Toyota Corolla of N2.5 million for his Vice not long ago from the coffers of the council. Apart from the car given, the Vice has been denied headship of any department and not allowed to attend cash budget meeting. The Chairman who is a lawyer flouted the law by refusing to set up the PCRC. He pays the Vice imprest and allowances whenever he deems fit.
Ughelli North: Popularly called Coach, the Chairman, Godwin Adode runs the affairs of the council alone, without giving official car to the Vice, no imprest paid apart from stipends to buy airtime. He banned the deputy from attending cash budget meetings and refused to set up the PCRC.
Uvwie: In this lucrative LGA, Ramson Tega did not give his Vice an official car, while paying imprest and allowances that are not regular. The second in command does not attend cash budget meeting and no PCRC in place, he does not head any committee. The Chairman Ramson embarrassed him during christmas by giving him only N100,000 as yuletide package.
Ndokwa West: Osakwe Ifeanyichukwu has not given the deputy and official car. However, the Vice supervises a department with imprest not regularly given and allowances not paid. While he heads tenement rate, the PCRC is not in place.
Aniocha South: He uses his person old car to work, which was refurbished by him. The Chairman Isaac Anwuzia does not care if the Vice exists as he does not get imprest or allowances, not allowed to attend cash budget meeting and supervises no department. The PCRC has been thrown to the dustbin of history.
Okpe: This is the LG of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, yet lawlessness is the order of the day by Julius Jessa Scott, who has bluntly refused to allow purchase of official car for his Vice, refused to assign a department for him to head or even attend cash budget meeting. No allowance or imprest is paid to the Vice. There is no plan to set up the PCRC by him.
Warri North: Aduge Okorodudu who is head of council gave the works department to his Vice to head. Apart from that, he has turned deaf ears to other aspect of governance. Without an official car, none attendance of cash budget meetings, no PCRC to head and no imprest or allowances paid but just stipends, the deputy is only floating and praying for their tenure to end.
Warri South West: Like his counterpart above, Tuoyo Taiye Duke has also not approved purchase of official car for the Vice, banned him from attending cash budget meeting and refused to put in place the PCRC for him to head. However, he supervises a department and gets paid his imprest.
Chairmen get large pay
In a letter seen by SecretReporters written by the State ALGON to Joint Allocation Accounts Committee (JAAC), some allowances and payment were approved for the Chairmen which includes: entitlement of N600,000 annually for their medical, while their cook will be paid N50,000 monthly and gardener the sum of N40,000 monthly. They are also to be given the sum of N22,500 every month to buy newspapers and another N600,000 paid annually as accommodation to Chairmen who do not have official quarters.
While the Chairmen smiles to the bank, only the sum of N400,000 was approved to each of the Vice Chairmen as their annual medical allowances.
